How did you all meet?
Martin: We all grew up playing folk music and met on that scene. It’s quite a small friendly scene so we met at jam sessions and parties before we started the band.
Did you all have plans to be musicians at this stage?
Martin: We were all playing full time when we met each other, so yes.
‘Race the Loser’ is an interesting album name. How did you think it up?
Martin: It just seems to make more sense, why would you want to race the winner?
Who are your biggest heroes?
Kris: We cannot speak as one voice for we are three separate people. We love loads of music, Tom Waits, The Dirty Three, Bartok, The Beatles, Dick Gaughan, Sufjan Stevens. The list is endless.
If you could do a collaboration with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Kris: Buddy Ritch, incredible drummer and by all accounts a lovely guy. Mostly the drumming, we love a good drummer.
If you had to describe your genre as something other than folk, what would it be?
Kris: Progdiddle? Contempofiddle? I don’t know, it’s all music we hope!
Who are your favourite band?
Aidan: Such a difficult question. I have favourites from so many genres. Planxty from the folk world. The Beatles. Sigur Ros. Miles Davies. Endless…
Is there a desired theme for the next album?
Aidan: We don’t have a theme as such but we’re developing a way of writing which could become a theme itself. We’re currently discussing who the producer will be and that shapes things a lot. There’s a good chance we’ll go for Tucker Martine again. Hopefully.
Do you write any time of the week, day or night, whenever the songs come to you? Or do you put time aside each week/month to discuss ideas?
Aidan: Occasionally a tune comes to me almost fully written but mostly I sit down and write. And usually there’s a deadline which tends to increase productivity! I’m on the road a lot and have been trying to get into the ‘I can write anywhere’ way of thinking, though a beautiful cottage in the Highlands is a more relaxing way of meeting writing deadlines than a Travelodge off the M6. When at home I’ve been trying to follow Ai Wei Wei’s way of working which is to get up super early and begin work while the world is still. It can can be great. Get a bit of air and exercise around midday and then go back to it in the afternoon.
Where is your favourite place to tour ?
Aidan: It was Japan until a recent tour of India. Now it’s a dead heat between them.
